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Vladimir Romanov
Vladimir Romanov is the last surviving heir to the now destroyed nation of Caspia, having been killed by a peasent uprising in the last few years of the nation's life. Caspia had seen war for many years having suffered at the hands of western crusaders, an unhappy population and an ever growing Ignotus threat. In the end the nation was utterly destroyed by the conflicts, but is now occupied by Terran forces under the command of Vladimir himself. A devoted follower of the old ways, Vlad sees his undeath as a gift from the wild gods, and a chance at vengeance to those who have wronged him. Growing up in Caspia Before the 5th Crusade, Caspia was the last stronghold of the old faith of Europa. Worshiping crude and sometimes violent gods of war, the old faith had been overrun by the more sublty brutal western church of the Fortress, which had taken even the proud Kreedian Imperials. Caspia remained stubbornly devoted to the old faith, but it had always had trouble with a small cult. Worshiping the now outlawed god Shio, these cultists were in secret commited to the dark Shiokar and intended for Caspia to be Lucien's first Europan conquest. Vladimir was Caspian royalty, the heir to the throne that his father Alexander currently held proudly. Their devotion to these old faiths however troubled the rest of Europa, and so the Divine Fortress called a crusade against the Caspians in an attempt to stop the nation's heretical ways. The Crusade was bloody, and left a mark on Vlad and his brother Dmitri. Caspia could not win, and after the death of King Alexander, the people of Caspia were starved of food and worried of the approaching army of crusaders. The Queen regent Bernadett hid her children in the royal palace, but the riots in the streets soon broke out. The royal family was murdered by the angry mob, including Vlad. Dmitri however was smuggled out by the druid Akal who had been Vlad's mentor. The cult of Shio was growing however with the people's rage, and so the angry cult leader Darakil decided that the time for Lucien's invasion was now. Summoning up a mass undead horde with the help of the Ignotus Kraken Lords Bael and Severus, the Ignotus overrran the capital of Caspia and slaughtered its citizens. As the Crusader army approached, supposedly Vladimir was ressurected, but his mother could not be as she had been too badly mutilated. The armies of Lucien ammassed in the dark forests of Caspia, ready to fight the cruel Crusader army. The two forces clashed, with the Crusaders being headed by the brutal Violet Crusade. The battle raged across the entire nation, but in the end it was the Crusader forces who succeeded. The undead army was completelly destroyed, but the dark forests of Caspia had been completely abandoned. People dubbed the region cursed and unholy, and even to this day few dare venture into the woods alone. Joining the Terran Crusade Vlad had lived the life of an Ignotus for years. Known as the bloody Lord of Caspia by his foes, Vlad in undeath had been as merciless and cruel as his undead brothers. Using a corrupt combination of black magic and druidism, Vlad slaughtered his foes in a tidal wave of blood. It was only in the year 1225 that Vlad met Terran forces at Eastridge. Fighting to crush the "rebels", Vlad was hit by a Terran blood priest, and as a result his memory was restored. Feeling a great hatred for both the Ignotus and those who had betrayed him in Europa, Vlad thanked the wild gods for their gift of vengeance and began to march on a bloody campaign of revenge. He became one of Mortis's most trusted friends and advisors, but he could never quite match the legendary battlefield skill of Edward Lee. Many see him as a potential heir to the position of Night Master of Mortis declares him, though it is unknown if he will have the support of the other Dreadlords. Category:Character